Case between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu apparently took a new technical twist on Thursday after one of the lawyers of the detained Biafra Leader, Paul Erokoro, SAN, presented and played three videos which the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja later admitted in evidence, the videos of former Nigeria Chief of Army Staff, Retired General Theophilus Danjuma, saying, security operatives in the West Africa country specifically the armed forces are working together with the armed bandits to kill Nigerians, stressing that, if Nigerians depend on the armed forces to curb insecurity, they will all die one by one, also that of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State saying politicians are behind killings in the state, lastly and the most interesting video played at the court to counter the testimony or statement made by the DSS prosecutor witness over Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB founding Eastern Security Network, ESN allegedly created by group of youths in the Southeastern geopolitical zone of Nigeria often referred to as Biafra land to fight in self defence against Fulani armed bandits or terrorists that were advancing and killing people in the Eastern states during the era of President Muhammadu Buhari, was that of the Director General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Adeola Ajayi, who is apparently the government chief complainer in the case, and the DSS DG in the video recorded and published by SymFoni news media in February 2025, narrated how youths at Azare community in Katagum local government area and Tafawa Balewa community of Tafawa Balewa local government area in Bauchi state, when the DSS DG was the state Director of State Security Services, SSS, resorted to self help and killed all Boko Haram terrorists that came to attack them without depending on the security operatives, according to the DSS DG, when Boko Haram terrorists invaded Azare community, they started shooting and killing people, then, the youths went after the Boko Haram terrorists and killed all of them even when one of the Boko Haram terrorists named Khalid climbed a tree and started firing gunshots from the tree towards the people who were on the lower ground, the Azare people resisted and went after him and subsequently killed him, although the Federal government prosecution witness identified as BBB who is a DSS Operative stated that the ESN is an illegal organisation because there is no approval of government given to the people of Southeast to establish such a self help group to defend their land against terrorists unlike Amotekun security network in the Southwest states that was approved and permitted by the government, also claiming, his boss, the DSS DG in the video was asking communities to build the first line of defence by thus working with security operatives, but, a careful and detailed study of the DSS DG speech in the video shows that the FG witness, BBB probably talked off points, totally off key from the original intent and intention of Mr Adeola Ajayi, the DSS DG teachings and advise in the video, who had said the Azare community people acted in quick response to an emergency situation, and the storyline indicated that the people of Azare prepared themselves in advance likely purchasing and acquiring firearms equivalent to AK-47 riffles to be able to face and kill all the Boko Haram terrorists that invaded the community as narrated by the DSS DG, and if true, the DSS DG, the chief complainer must also be ordered to appear before the court as a defender in the case to present a certified true copy of government approval given to Azare people to defend themselves, or prove beyond reasonable doubts how the people of Azare community were able to kill; merely with their bare hands all the Boko Haram terrorists that invaded their community with high precision weapons of mass destructions, in addition, the DSS DG in the video probably advocated for the need for all individuals in Nigeria to have a gun, because, he gave an example of a visit to the United States of America, USA, when his host in the US heard a police siren sound, he quickly brought out his gun and said, if the criminal chased after by the US police ran into his apartment, he would used the gun to kill the criminal suspect, and that not all, the DSS DG in the video also recalled and referenced the words of Nigeria former Head of State, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida that if insecurity must end in Nigeria, Nigerians must be ready to resort to self help like the people of Azare community did.

Details of the court proceedings on Thursday as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN and republished by Vanguard newspaper are presented verbatim below:

“Justice James Omotosho admitted the flash drive containing the three separate video recordings as Exhibit PW-P and a certificate of compliance as Exhibit PWP-1 in the ongoing terrorism trial of Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The documents were admitted in evidence after Paul Erokoro, SAN, counsel for Kanu, tendered them from the bar and were not opposed by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three video recordings were played in the open court and the FG’s witness, an operative of the DSS, identified as BBB, was crossed examined by Erokoro.

Earlier, the lawyer reminded the witness that during the cross examination the previous day, reference was made to remarks by Danjuma and the DSS DG and he responded in affirmative.

“Do you know your DG and if you see him, will you recognised him,” Erokoro asked.

“Yes, I will my lord,” BBB responded, and the lawyer sought the leave of the court for the video to be played.

In one of the videos, the DSS DG was addressing a gathering of people where he suggested that communities should endeavour to create a first line of defence against bandits and other invaders.

In the video, Ajayi cited examples of two communities; Azare and Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State, that were able to kill and dislodge Boko Haram insurgents through collective effort when he was serving as state director.

The DG said it was practically impossible for security agencies to protect every society in the country.

The DSS boss was heard saying: “The practical approach to mobilising people is to get everyone involved. It is impossible for the security agencies to deploy to every part of the country.

“What we need to do is to make communities set up first line of defence.

“We have to allow some levels of armament for the communities to rise and defend themselves first, but under the guidance and approval of security agencies. The time to start it is now.”

When asked by Erokoro whether the DG DSS was not asking for communities to defend themselves, the witness emphasised that the DG stressed that such communities must come for guidance and approval from security agencies.

In another video, former Defence Minister, General Danjuma, was shown making a remark in an event.

Danjuma was heard, in the video, saying members of the armed forces were not neutral in the ongoing killings across the country.

The ex-General said in the video: “the peace in this state is under threat. There is an attempt for ethnic cleansing in this state and all the riverine states of Nigeria. We must resist it. We must rise up.

“The armed forces are not neutral. They collude with armed bandits that killed Nigerians, they facilitate their movement. They cover them.

“If you are depending on the armed forces to protect you, you will all die one by one.”

When asked by Erokoro who the speaker in the video was, the witness confirmed that he was Danjuma.

Erokoro then asked the witness if he heard Danjuma calling on people to defend themselves and that the security agencies were not neutral and BBB responded in affirmative.

BBB, however, rejected Erokoro’s request to give his (BBB’s) opinion on the implication of what Danjuma said.

“I am not here to interpret his statement. The maker of the video should be the one to interpret it himself,” he said.

When the lawyer asked him if he was aware DSS arrested Danjuma for making the statement, the witness said: “I am not aware my organisation arrested him.”

The third video showed Governor Uzodinma complaining about the killings of some All Progressives Congress (APC)’s leaders in his state and blamed it on the politicians.

The governor said in the video: “Wicked politicians are sponsoring the killings in Orlu. The APC leaders were killed but not one PDP leader has been killed or attacked for once.

“I think thier cup is now full and killings of innocent people must stop in Imo.”

Uzodinma, who said it occured to him that the alleged killers were after APC members, said government would come hard on them if they failed to refrain from such act.

When asked who the speaker was, the witness said it was Governor Uzodinma.

Erokoro then asked BBB whether Uzodinma’s position did not contradict his claim in court that IPOB members were behind killings in Orlu in Imo.

Responding, the witness said DSS’ position was informed by the outcome of their investigation.

BBB further said that, while Uzodinma failed to mention names of victims of the killings he referred to, the DSS’ investigation was specific on the identity of those killed by suspected IPOB members, who were enforcing the sit-at-home order directed by Kanu.

“Our investigation revealed those who were killed by suspected IPOB members and we mentioned their names, but the governor did not mention any name of people he said were killed,” the witness said.

BBB, who was the 2nd prosecution witness (PW-2), was also cross examined by Ekororo based on his earlier testimony.

When asked about the IPOB status, the witness said he was aware that IPOB had been proscribed by an order of court and that Kanu had been a member of IPOB before and after its proscription.

On whether he knew what the EndSars protest was about, the witness said it was about the call by some people for the police’s Special Anti Robbery Squad (Sars) to be scrapped.

The witness also said he was aware that some states, including Lagos and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) constituted commissions of enquiry to probe the Endsars protest and other related incidents.

When he was asked to read the heading of the report of the panel, the witness said: “Lagos State Panel of Judicial Enguriy on Restitution of Victims of EndSars Protest and Other Matters.”

The witness agreed with Erokoro that the report from the commission set up by Lagos State did not indicate IPOB and that it did not classify the protest as act of terrorism.

Erokoro tendered the report issued by the Lagos’s commission of enquiry, which the court admitted in evidence as Exhibit PWO after it was not opposed by FG’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo.

When he was asked if Kanu’s international passport had ever been in DSS custody, the witness said he had never seen the passport before.

When asked if he was aware Kanu had travelled to different countries before, BBB said the IPOB leader told him he had travelled to many countries.

He said though he did not know if the name, “Biafra,” had been proscribed, BBB said he was aware that IPOB had been proscribed.

The witness, who admitted that the AGF letter was tendered through him in court, said he was aware of all the allegations against Kanu mentioned by the AGF in the letter.

The witness disagreed with Erokoro that the letter did not serve any useful purpose.

He said he did not know if Kanu had been in detention for the past five years.

When asked if he had the report of the investigation on Kanu, BBB responded in affirmative.

He, however, said that the report was not with him in court because the report belongs to the government.

The witness said his involvement in Kanu’s matter was only the taking of his statement on the video.

When asked if there were any other persons as defendants in the charge against Kanu, BBB said it was only Kanu he saw as sole defendant.

Erokoro put the question to BBB that in the earlier video he watched, there was no one bearing arms as members of ESN.

Responding, the witness said: “In the video we watched, I cannot say they carry arms or they did not carry arms.”

The witness further explained that the people might be carrying arms underneath them.

While responding to question during re-examination by FG’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, on whether the Eastern Security Network (ESN) set up by Kanu and Amotekun established by south west states had the same features in their formation, the witness said ESN was an illegal group unlike the Amotekun.

The witness said Amotekun was backed by laws, passed by the various houses of assembly of the six south west states while ESN had no law supporting its existence.

“ESN and Amotekun are not the same. I know that states in the South West passed laws to legalise Amotekun. But, ESN is not registered.

“ESN is illegal. Amotekun is recognised by law,” the witness said.

Justice Omotosho, then discharged BBB from the witness box.

The judge, before adjourning for the day, gave the prosecution six days within which to call all its witnesses and conclude its case.

He said this would, however, depend on how fast the defence too conduct their cross examination.

Justice Omotosho also indicated that the defence would be allocated nine days.

He reminded parties that accelerated hearing had been granted in the case so that the trial could be concluded within reasonable time in the interest of justice.

The judge, following an agreement by lawyers to parties, adjourned until May 28 and May 29, June 6, June 16, June 18 and June 19 for the prosecution to conduct its case”.

We had reported that Unknown witness brought by the Federal Government of Nigeria to Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday over the case involving Biafra Republic agitator, Nnamdi Kanu has testified before the court that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB leader was the founder of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, an IPOB acclaimed vigilante security network established to fight against terrorists that were advancing from Northern part of Nigeria and building camps in some parts of Southeast states, although, the unknown witness who was fully masked and personal details kept secret, introduced himself as a personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS who was  among the detectives that interrogated the detained IPOB Leader, but the IPOB Leader, Nnamdi Kanu in a swift reaction said the witness is unknown, denying ever meeting such a person, the Defense lawyer raised a point of observation during cross examination that the issue raised by the unknown witness has been deliberated and struck out by the previous Judge.

We had reported that one of the witnesses called by the Federal Government of Nigeria to testify against the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, over the alleged act of terrorism, secretly gave his testimony on Tuesday before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, with the coordinating lawyer to Nnamdi Kanu, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, saying, the FG witness was only identified merely by initials and the person gave his testimony against Nnamdi Kanu behind the screen, following the application filed by the Federal Government lawyers as approved by the trial Judge to keep the identities of the FG witnesses secret, this, Aloy Ejimakor tweeted while the court proceeding was ongoing, that, the Federal Government only has three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, that, six SAN have stood firmly behind the detained Biafra Leader. 

We had reported that Justice James Omotosho, the new judge that took over the case of the detained Biafra agitation leader, Nnamdi Kanu has accepted the apology tendered by Nnamdi Kanu through one of his lawyers, Barrister Kanu Agabi, a Cross River State born former Senator in the Nigeria National Assembly and two time Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice under the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, over the detained Biafra leader’s outburst or manner he protested sequel to his rejection of the former Judge, Justice Binta Nyako, when the case started afresh on Friday with the new judge which Nnamdi Kanu pleaded not guilty to the seven counts terrorism charges filed against him by the Federal Government.

We had reported that the detained Biafra Republic agitation leader, Nnamdi Kanu has not been released by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Nigeria National Judicial Council, NJC says in reaction to viral rumours that the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB leader has been set free by the CJN on the ground that Nigeria courts under her leadership have no jurisdiction over the freedom fighter’s case due to the way and manner he was forcefully extradited from Kenya to Nigeria in 2021.

We had reported that the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu on Valentine’s day send a message to the lovers, supporters of the Biafra Republic agitation and the general public that he would remain in detention until impartial and unbiased judge takeover the case of alleged terrorism filed against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria, narrating how the judiciary has been biased against him since years of his detention.

We had reported that Justice Binta Nyako of Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely after the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu as seen in a privileged video footage during February 10, 2025 court session, staged a resistance protest, insisting while confronting the judge face to face including the prosecuting counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo that Justice Binta who is an indigene of Katsina State, same state with former President Muhammadu Buhari is biased, saying, Justice Nyako who had held a political position of Katsina State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice that her court is not a court of law but a shrine of injustice, accusing the judge of poke nosing with authorities to pass wrong judgement against him inorder to be left off the hook by the Federal Government, her son, Abdul-Aziz Nyako and her husband, retired Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako who was once Chief of Naval Staff, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, pioneer former military Governor of Niger State, two times Governor of Adamawa State who were impeached twice by Adamawa State House of Assembly for misconduct, one of the soldiers that fought against Biafra during Nigeria civil war, a current member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC who is facing corruption charges alongside his son in a criminal allegation filed before court of law since 2015 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC over alleged cases of abuse of office, criminal conspiracy, theft and money laundering.

We had October, 2024 reported that the Chief Judge of Federal High Court in Nigeria, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho has rejected the verbal plea by the detained Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu for the trial judge in the case, Justice Binta Nyako to withdraw being the judge over the lawsuits.

Justice Tsoho stated that Kanu’s case was reassigned to Justice Nyako due to its prolonged nature, dating back to 2015. Given that Justice Nyako had handled the case for the most part, she was deemed the most suitable judge to see it through to its conclusion.

However, the Chief Judge directed that if at the next hearing of the case, Kanu still insists on recusing Justice Nyako, he must file a written motion with an affidavit, stating all the grounds for requesting the recusal.

We had reported in September 2024 that Justice Binta Nyako of Federal High Court sitting in Abuja have withdrawn from the case of  detained Biafra Leader, Nnamdi Kanu after the trial could not commence following the Biafra Leader’s personal confrontation with the judge for the second time in the year.

We had reported in May 2024 that, in a rare case in the history of legal proceedings in the world, Nnamdi Kanu, the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB helped himself at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and played the role of a lawyer with full energy and vibrant command of words with fearless loud voice defended himself  with face to face confrontation with the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako and the Federal Government Prosecution counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo.

Kanu is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a seven-count bordering on terrorism.